Abstract: Provided is an alkali-niobate-based piezoelectric porcelain composition which has a crystal-structure transition point in the range of operation guarantee temperatures and which, despite this, is inhibited from abruptly changing in capacitance. The piezoelectric porcelain composition comprises Li, Na, K, Nb, Ta, Sb, and O as major constituent elements and has an alkali-niobate-based perovskite structure. When the composition has an ABO3 type perovskite structure as a unit lattice in which Z=1, the composition has a transition point at which the crystal structure changes from the monoclinic to the tetragonal system. Thus, the composition has a crystal-structure transition point at ?50° C. to 150° C. so as to utilize the high piezoelectric effect produced by the MPB at the crystal-structure transition point and, despite this, has the feature of always satisfying ?C>0.

Abstract: A portable information terminal apparatus generates a first signal, based on the user's operation, that causes a recording/reproducing apparatus to acquire program information. A second signal based on the user's operation, causes the recording/reproducing apparatus to display the acquired program information. A third signal based on the user's operation causes the recording/reproducing apparatus to preset the program for unattended recording. A fourth signal based on the user's operation causes the recording/reproducing apparatus to convert the recorded program to video data in a predetermined file format.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a system that allows a user to preset a desired TV program for unattended recording by use of a PDA. A PDA acquires from a TV program information service provider TV program information by which to preset a desired TV program to be recorded unattended. When the user selects relevant TV information about the desired program, the PDA sends to a personal computer the information for presetting the TV program of interest for subsequent unattended recording. Based on the preset information sent from the PDA, the personal computer presets the specified TV program to be recorded unattended.

Abstract: Inputted information (such as biometric information) is compared to template information (including correlation or authentication) and the result is recorded as log information. According to log information for each of the types of the inputted information (such as information specifying the user who has inputted it and the template), analysis is executed for the inputted information for each of the types. This analysis includes the following aspects. That is, the following states are detected and an alarm is outputted for the accuracy of the corresponding type: when the ratio of negative comparison results (correlation failures) not smaller than a predetermined value is detected within a predetermined period of time; and when a negative result is detected within a predetermined time before an affirmative comparison result is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable information terminal apparatus for additionally displaying information about other programs broadcast in the same time slot as a user-selected program. A TV program recording preset program under control of an I/O control program receives input of a user-selected start time of a given TV program. In turn, the TV program recording preset program extracts from a program list memory not the user-selected time but the start and end times of the TV program relative to the selected time, and retrieves information about all TV programs to be broadcast between the extracted start and end times so as to create a table of TV programs available in the designated time slot. The table is output to a display unit for display under control of the I/O control program.

Abstract: To provide an industrially useful ?-olefin.((meth)acrylic acid)-based olefin copolymer having both a high molecular weight and a high comonomer content, a catalyst component capable of realizing a production of two different kinds of ?-olefin.((meth)acrylic acid)-based olefin copolymers, and a production process using the catalyst. An ?-olefin.((meth)acrylic acid)-based olefin copolymer is produced by using a metal complex complexed with a ligand represented by the following formula (Y is phosphorus or arsenic) for a catalyst composition.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including a photoelectric conversion element, first, a shutter speed for still-image pickup is set. Next, an image-pickup frame rate is set on the basis of the shutter speed for still-image pickup. Then, an operation of the photoelectric conversion element is controlled such that picked-up images are output at the set image-pickup frame rate. When the image-pickup frame rate that is set is higher than a moving-image-reproducing frame rate, a frame for use in a moving-image reproduction is generated from a plurality of frames of the picked-up images and reproduction is performed at the moving-image-reproduction frame rate.

Abstract: The present application relates to an antibody performing an antigen-antibody reaction with Nesfatin-1, but not substantially performing the antigen-antibody reaction with Nesfatin and/or NucB1, and with the use of the antibody, an immunological detection method and a detection kit of Nesfatin-1, and further, an antibody performing an antigen-antibody reaction with Nesfatin, but not substantially performing the antigen-antibody reaction with NucB1, and an immunological detection method using the antibody, and a detection kit of Nesfatin comprising the antibody.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including a road wheel speed detecting section, a vehicle body speed detecting section, a slip ratio calculating section configured to calculate slip ratios which are ratios of respective road wheel speeds with respect to vehicle body speed, an anti-skid brake control section configured to control wheel cylinder fluid pressures for respective wheel cylinders such that the slip ratios fall within a predetermined range, a wheel cylinder fluid pressure acquiring section, damping force variable shock absorbers which are disposed between the respective road wheels and the vehicle body and constructed to variably adjust respective damping force characteristics thereof, and a damping force variable shock absorber control section configured to set the damping force characteristics in accordance with the acquired wheel cylinder fluid pressures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of obtaining a factor involved in appetite control and/or body weight control, as well as genes obtained by said method, polypeptides encoded by said genes, or novel polypeptides obtained from the information on polypeptides encoded by said genes as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control. Also the present invention relates to substances that inhibit the effects of said genes or said polypeptides as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with appetite control and/or body weight control. By using thiazolidine diones having a PPAR ? agonist activity, genes and polypeptides involved in appetite regulation and/or body weight reduction can be obtained. NESFATIN or the like obtained by said method can be used as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control.

Abstract: An information propagation analyzing system and method of information propagation analysis. Information propagation analyzing apparatus (3) analyzes the relationship among multiple message informations exchanged within a community space monitored by web server (24) and creates information on inter-message chain structure. The information propagation analyzing apparatus (3) computes the message propagation capacity for each of the message informations on the basis of the inter-message chain structure. The information propagation analyzing apparatus (3) computes the degree of information propagation between members belonging to the community on the basis of the message propagation capacity. The information propagation analyzing apparatus (3) constructs a social network consisting of a group wherein information is likely to easily propagate on the basis of the degree of information propagation between members.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of obtaining a factor involved in appetite control and/or body weight control, as well as genes obtained by said method, polypeptides encoded by said genes, or novel polypeptides obtained from the information on polypeptides encoded by said genes as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control. Also the present invention relates to substances that inhibit the effects of said genes or said polypeptides as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with appetite control and/or body weight control. By using thiazolidine diones having a PPAR ? agonist activity, genes and polypeptides involved in appetite regulation and/or body weight reduction can be obtained. NESFATIN or the like obtained by said method can be used as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control.

Abstract: A community generation support system and a community generation support method. A community generation support device (3) monitors public information stored in a web server (24). The community generation support device (3) detects a potential community on the basis of monitoring of information. The community generation support device (3) requests the web server (24) to generate a community space concerning the detected potential community. The web server (24) generates the community space. The community generation support device (3) transmits information on invitation for asking whether each potential community member wants to participate in the community to the user terminal (20) of the potential community member through the web server (24). The user terminal (20) transmits information on registration of participation to the community generation support device (3) through the web server (24). The user terminal (20) performs processing for making a user participate in the community.

Abstract: A method for accurately measuring an amount of natriuretic peptides in a sample that has stood for at least 24 hours, in a plastic tube or a tube coated with silicone. This method makes it possible to measure natriuretic peptides stably and conveniently. Also provided is a method for measuring the amount of natriuretic acid in a sample at the time of collection by measuring the amount of natriuretic peptide in a blood sample at two periods of time after collection.

Abstract: A method for efficient production of a welding solid wire free of copper plating. The method consists of drawing by means of roller dies with the help of a dry solid lubricant for drawing which is at least either of sodium stearate or potassium stearate, removing the lubricant from the wire surface by means of a washing device, and applying a lubricant for wire feeding to the surface of the drawn wire by means of an oiling device. High-speed drawing by means of roller dies makes a stock wire into a welding solid wire having the diameter of the finished wire or nearly finished wire. The drawing step is followed by the washing step and the lubricant applying step, which are all accomplished in-line.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including a photoelectric conversion element, first, a shutter speed for still-image pickup is set. Next, an image-pickup frame rate is set on the basis of the shutter speed for still-image pickup. Then, an operation of the photoelectric conversion element is controlled such that picked-up images are output at the set image-pickup frame rate. When the image-pickup frame rate that is set is higher than a moving-image-reproducing frame rate, a frame for use in a moving-image reproduction is generated from a plurality of frames of the picked-up images and reproduction is performed at the moving-image-reproduction frame rate.

Abstract: Inputted information (such as biometric information) is compared to template information (including correlation or authentication) and the result is recorded as log information. According to log information for each of the types of the inputted information (such as information specifying the user who has inputted it and the template), analysis is executed for the inputted information for each of the types. This analysis includes the following aspects. That is, the following states are detected and an alarm is outputted for the accuracy of the corresponding type: when the ratio of negative comparison results (correlation failures) not smaller than a predetermined value is detected within a predetermined period of time; and when a negative result is detected within a predetermined time before an affirmative comparison result is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method of obtaining a factor involved in appetite control and/or body weight control, as well as genes obtained by said method, polypeptides encoded by said genes, or novel polypeptides obtained from the information on polypeptides encoded by said genes as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control. Also the present invention relates to substances that inhibit the effects of said genes or said polypeptides as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with appetite control and/or body weight control. By using thiazolidine diones having a PPAR ? agonist activity, genes and polypeptides involved in appetite regulation and/or body weight reduction can be obtained. NESFATIN or the like obtained by said method can be used as a means for treating, controlling or diagnosing diseases associated with eating disorders and/or body weight control.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a portable information terminal apparatus, an information processing method, a computer-program storage medium, and a computer-program. In a portable information terminal apparatus capable of managing a schedule list, the apparatus includes an acquiring device configured to acquire program information; a displaying device configured to display the program information acquired by the acquiring device; an establishing device configured to establish preset information for presetting a program for unattended recording based on an operation input by a user referring to the program information displayed by the displaying device; and a writing device configured to write to the schedule list the preset information established by the establishing device. In the apparatus, the displaying device further displays the schedule list including the preset information written by the writing device.

Abstract: A reed relay which comprises a reed switch with reeds at both ends; an electrostatic shield pipe inside which the reed switch passes; a coil bobbin having a hollow part in which the electrostatic shield pipe is disposed; removable bushings attached to the electrostatic shield pipe and the coil bobbin and having a reed support hole that supports the reed switch; and the removable bushing is capable of disabling the support of the reed switch by the bushings after anchoring the reed relay and both ends of the reeds.